STAFF REPORTS
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The Canisius and RIT rowing programs battled on Saturday at West Side Rowing Club, with the Griffs varsity four and third varsity eight besting the Tigers. RIT however bested the Blue and Gold varsity eight and second varsity eight during the contest.
“While we are definitely not happy with the results in the top two eights, we’re thrilled how our varsity four and third varsity eight raced today, which consisted the varsity four racing twice back-to-back,” head coach Erin Neppel said.
The Griffs varsity four consisting of Alexandria Holt, Chanel Davis, Melissa Frank, Erin Grim and Kaitlyn Taylor, bested the Tigers by 40 seconds, finishing the regatta with a time of 8:09.4 while RIT concluded the course with a mark of 8:49.
Likewise the third varsity eight of Liz DelBarba, Sara Ruszczyk, Bridget Lillis, Andrea Kraft, Holt, Davis, Frank, Grim and Gianna Ortolani also bested its RIT counterparts, crossing the finish line with a time of 7:48.6 while the Tigers finished the race with a time of 8:38.9.
The second varsity eight of Kira Voyer, Mackenzie App, Bridget Lillis, Michelle Turner, Molly Murphy, Emma Vicaretti, Jessica Fabian, Audrey Rieman and Grace Horner was bested by RIT by just 15.5 seconds, as the Tigers won the race with a time of 7:20.7, while Canisius clocked in with a time of 7:35.2.
The varsity eight was also narrowly defeated, as Alexandra Heinz, Shannon Pritzker, Sydney Bichsel, Madeline Kurka, Tara Federow, Patricia Beaulieu, Brooke Stanley, Kathryn Hobika, Misa Gamble finished the course with a time of 7:10.7, while the Tigers won the race with a time of 6:59.5.
“RIT really brought it today after we defeated them at NY States last year, and it ended up being a day for us to take some good hard lessons from as we move into next week and the Knecht Cup,” Neppel said.